Criminal Justice

Student Opportunities

Two students sitting at library table

At NYU Law, students are encouraged to take advantage of all the Law School has to offer, from working directly with faculty on their research, to getting involved with our centers, to participating in clinics and student organizations. Students should consult with the Office of Career Services, which offers recruiting programs, panels and workshops, and individual counseling sessions. The Public Interest Law Center also provides counseling to students pursuing careers in public service. Here are some opportunities for those specifically interested in criminal justice:

Peter L. Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law Fellowship

Student fellows are involved in all aspects of the Peter L. Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law’s work. During the two-year fellowship, they conduct research to support the center’s academic, litigation, and policy work. Fellows have the opportunity to co-author articles and other works of scholarship, and help plan and organize conferences and other events involving prominent legal scholars and practitioners.

Corporate Compliance and Enforcement Fellowship

Each year, three to four students receive a fellowship from the Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement to work with Jennifer Arlen ’86 on her ongoing research projects. Students are expected to co-write articles and research memos. They also help organize and participate in the program’s annual conference on corporate crime and financial misdealing.

Term-Time Work and Summer Jobs

Almost all prosecutor and public defender offices hire interns, both during the school year and during the summer. Students should meet with Public Interest Law Center (PILC) counselors and professors to discuss the specific offices that are the best fit for them. Many offices interview at the NYU PILC Fair in February, and also interview 2Ls and 3Ls during fall On Campus Interviewing (OCI), organized by OCS.

Students who are interested in criminal practice may wish to consider working as a research assistant for one of the Law School’s criminal law professors during the school year or during the 1L summer. RA work offers an excellent opportunity to become deeply immersed in criminal justice issues and to work closely with a member of the law school’s criminal law faculty.

Post-Graduate Studies

The Master of Laws LLM is designed for students who wish to take full advantage of NYU’s extraordinarily wide range of course offerings and the diverse research interests of our faculty. Unlike students in the specialized LLM programs, candidates pursuing the traditional LLM degree are not limited to a specific number of classes in one field, and they have the freedom to choose courses that match their interests.